'Sacrifice in Wartime' a symposium

'Sacrifice in Wartime' a symposium

Venue

Underpinning the military and civilian effort of WWI was the concept of 'sacrifice'.

Volunteer recruits were called on to make ‘the supreme sacrifice’, mothers were asked to ‘sacrifice their sons’, the nation was asked to ‘make great sacrifices’ individually and collectively to ensure eventual victory. Memorials were inscribed with the word, ensuring that the memory of sacrifice willingly undertaken would not fade away.

But the concept itself – what it meant, and how it was understood in 1914-18 – cannot be taken for granted. The idea of sacrifice as it was used on the Australian and Queensland home front has been insufficiently analysed and understood. It was a complex idea, which meant different things to different people, and worked differently in different situations.

This UQ symposium presents a range of historical perspectives on ‘sacrifice’, what it meant and how it was used during the Great War. Recent student projects and the research of current scholars (final presenters TBC) will be showcased in a series of presentations, with questions and discussion encouraged.